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Where Land Meets Legend: Old Head Golf Links, Ireland
There are golf courses, and then there are places like Old Head Golf Links—where the game feels secondary to the staggering beauty that surrounds you. Located near Kinsale, Ireland, Old Head sits atop a diamond-shaped promontory that juts out nearly two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The cliffs fall away nearly 100 feet on all sides, and the views are as endless as the wind is wild.
This stunning image captures one of the most iconic scenes in Irish golf: a pristine green with the Old Head lighthousestanding guard in the background, and—by chance or fate—a lone sailboat drifting into frame at just the right moment. It’s a reminder that golf, at its best, is about more than birdies and bogeys. It’s about connection—to land, sea, and story.
Though it feels ancient, Old Head is a modern creation. The course was designed in the late 1990s by a team led by Ron Kirby and the late Eddie Hackett, in partnership with developers John and Patrick O’Connor, who spent decades acquiring the land and envisioning its transformation. Their goal? To create a course that could stand among the most dramatic in the world. Mission accomplished.
With nine holes playing along the cliff’s edge and the lighthouse keeping watch since 1853, Old Head offers a sensory experience few places on earth can match.
From the Photographer:
“Photographing Old Head is both exhilarating and humbling. You’re constantly aware that you’re at the edge of the world. When that sailboat drifted into view with the lighthouse looming behind—it was pure serendipity. One click, and a story was captured.”
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Each week, we share a stunning golf image and a heartfelt, hilarious, or inspiring story. While they may not always align, both aim to elevate the game and uplift those who love it. These images aren’t for sale—they’re simply here to be enjoyed, just as the stories are meant to inspire, entertain, and celebrate the spirit of golf.
A few years ago, I was on the board for the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, NC. Billy Casper, was going to be our Ambassador for the web.com, now Korn Ferry Tour. He had just written his book, The Big Three and Me. In fact, he was signing and handling out the book at the tournament. I had an opportunity to talk with Billy for 90-minutes – one on one.
Billy took me back to 1966 at the US Open at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.His story started on #10, he was seven shots behind Arnold Palmer. He said to Arnie, “I just want to come in second,. which we all know was a planted message to Arnie that he was coming after him.
Billy went hole by hole, what club he hit, whether it was a draw or a fade. Plus he remembered how far from the pin he was. Billy birdied a hole and Arnie boggied. Now he is only five shots behind. A hole later, same outcome, He is now only three shots behind. Billy gains another stroke when Arnie gets another bogey. Now two shots behind. Billy birdies and goes into 18 only down by one. He birdies the hole while Arnie has par. They are tied. Playoff tomorrow. In the playoff on Monday, Billy won. He won the US Open.
I asked Billy, “Who on the tour was your biggest competitor?”. He said, “Whoever I was playing.” That is how competitive he was. In the forward of his book, “The Big Three and Me,’’ there are statistics on number of tournaments played, tournaments won percentages.Tiger was #1, Jack was #2 and Billy was #3. Arnie, Gary and others were a bit farther down the list.
A true gentleman, a man of faith, a family man and incredible golfer and human.
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